Astros apologize for post about lunch with the late Joe Niekro

The Astros have apologized for a post on the team’s Facebook page that said Astros career pitching victories leader Joe Niekro, who died in 2006, would attend the Astros’ Legends Weekend luncheon next weekend.

According to a screen grab of the page archived at Deadspin.com, the team on Saturday noted the Sept. 15, 1985 anniversary of Niekro’s trade from the Astros to the Yankees for three players, including pitcher Jim Deshaies and Jose Cruz’s 2,000th career hit.

It added, “Both Jose Cruz and Joe Niekro will be at next weekend’s LEGENDS WEEKEND! It’s not too late to purchase your ticket to eat lunch with the legends.”

That post subsequently was removed and replaced by another reading: “This week, Joe Niekro was named to the Astros All-Time 25-Man roster for Legends Weekend, in recognition of his outstanding career. On a recent post, his name was mistakingly (sic) substituted for another Astros Legend as an attendee at our Astros Legends Luncheon. We apologize for the error.”

The other Astros Legend, presumably, was Deshaies, whose name, alas, was spelled incorrectly in the original post.